as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs
Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Adverb
In 1971, authors Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal went at it hammer and tongs live on late-night TV in a showdown that allegedly spilled over into violence.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer-and-tongs
Adjective
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Created in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Seventh Cavalry regularly engaged in violent clashes with Native Americans.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2024
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In late 2023, violent winter storms walloped the pier, significantly damaging it.Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With the centrality of Ellen comes the centrality of her ailment: the film makes frequent and flashy displays of her body-racking fits, which Depp invests with ferocious, wrenching physicality.Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
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The carnage is truly next-level, including one infamous scene in which Joey wades through a literal pool of bloody, rotting dead bodies—all victims of Abigail's ferocious killer instincts.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, the outspoken actor highly regarded as one of the industry's fiercest defenders of women.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
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Enticing notes of lemon confit, citrus blossom and a saline minerality make one yearn for the sea with subtle flavors of nectarine and chamomile tea on the palate with a fierce mineral finish and mouthwatering acidity that is impressive.Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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Yet those fiercely unhappy with their surroundings can change the world, and those who change the world should not be forgotten.Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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Nuno has built a Forest side that is fiercely difficult to break down, while looking to hurt opposition sides on the break.Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Many Southern California hikers are furious, convinced the move was unnecessary.Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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Harry’s denial is furious and while a struggle to remove Erzsébet from their home ensues, his father disappears.Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Nissan has weathered a turbulent decade, including the 2018 arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who later jumped bail and fled Japan concealed in a music equipment box.AFP, Fortune Asia, 23 Dec. 2024
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President Joe Biden, who has played a less public role in the process throughout a turbulent week, was expected to sign the measure into law Saturday.LISA MASCARO, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For key factors, such as tenure and years of experience, companies frequently rely on rough estimates from HR.Lyssa Hansard, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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The most common model in the United States was the highly successful iTunes Store, which allowed listeners to purchase both albums and single tracks, abiding by a rough dollar-per-song value inherited from the age of LPs and CDs.Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The National Park Service is cautioning people to heed warnings and safety precautions while watching volcanic activity since the latest eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, one of the most active in the world.Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Should volcanic activity change significantly, a new Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued.David Bressan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hammer-and-tongs
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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